Top Things to do in Charlotte Amalie
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The 10 Best Sights & Landmarks in Charlotte Amalie, St. Thomas
The largest city in the U.S. Virgin Islands is a popular shopping center, home to 20,000 people, upscale shops, ecotours and underwater safaris. This former haunt of pirate ships now hosts millions of cruise passengers every year. Look beyond the boutiques and discover historic sights such as the bright red, 17th-century Fort Christian, the graceful green Legislature Building, the 1793 brick Lutheran Church and the taxing 99 steps stairway. Charlotte Amalie is easy to explore on foot.
Restaurants in Charlotte Amalie
1. Valdemar A. Hill Drive Scenic Overlook
Overall Ratings
5.0 based on 4 reviews
Reviewed By viatgesrjr - Mayaguez, Caribbean
Good place to stop and stretch, beautiful view. There were several vendors, so some folks found entertainment in shopping, while others enjoyed the views and took many photos.
2. Beracha Veshalom Vegimulth Hasidim Synagogue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 79 reviews
Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition built the oldest active synagogue in the U.S. territories.
Reviewed By MrBlech - Deerfield, United States
Our cruise excursion took us to the most commercial areas, unfortunately; however, friends had recommended that we search out this synagogue, and we were glad we did. Docent Agi was highly informative about the origins of the congregation and its historic building - the oldest in continuous use under the American flag, and the second oldest in the Western Hemisphere. It's also one of only four synagogues in the world with a sand floor, connecting it directly with the Spanish Inquisition and the expulsion of Jews from Spain. Just a five-minute walk from downtown, it was well worth exploring, and a highlight of our cruise.
3. Frederick Lutheran Church
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 90 reviews
This place is temporarily closed. A Georgian-style church with a sweeping stairway and antique chandelier.
Reviewed By 152colleenc - Independence, United States
This building is worth a visit when in St. Thomas. The pulpit is very unusual. The church welcomes tourists and the architecture is interesting.
4. St. Thomas Synagogue
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 357 reviews
Reviewed By gec345 - Houston, United States
What a lovely experience this was. Docent Agi Rampino shared so much of the history of this place. It felt like a giant step into another era, and yet this is still a working congregation. The sand floor was unique and the Torah from the Holocaust still with the numbers the Nazis wrote on it to catalog artifacts from a deceased race sent shivers down my spine. Agi Rampino spent a lot of time sharing her stories. We visited a lot of places on our cruise, but seeing this was the most meaningful.
5. Charlotte Amalie Overlook
Overall Ratings
4.5 based on 75 reviews
Reviewed By 994linday - Frisco, United States
We first visited the Charlotte Amalie Overlook in 2014 when we arrived at St. Thomas via cruise ship. From this vantage point on the hillside, we could see our cruise ship and others docked at Havensight. I remembered how spectacular the view was and looked forward to returning this trip. The view is still spectacular but sadly due to Covid-19, there are no cruise ships in port. What you will see is downtown Charlotte Amalie, the harbor, Hassel Island, Water Island, and the beautiful blue waters of the Caribbean spread out before you. Gorgeous! A friendly vendor was selling jewelry in the parking lot. When we visited in 2014, we posed for a picture with a cute donkey owned by a local. I read that he has since passed away. We had difficulty driving here from downtown due to construction on Mafolie Rd, but it was worth the effort.
6. Blackbeard’s Castle
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 741 reviews
This place is temporarily closed due to a natural disaster. One of St. Thomas's most famous historical sites. A Walking Tour rich in History and Beauty. Listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Spectacular views, sparkling pools, life size pirates and more.
Reviewed By georgevE5533BX - Fort Worth, United States
My 15 year old swashbuckling daughter and I went to the castle as a tour while on a Royal Caribbean cruise in 2016. We did not book a tour through the cruise ship company -- we just winged-it on our own. No worries, we always felt safe and was fairly obvious where we needed to go. We took a shuttle from the port to the downtown area (shuttles run every 20 or 30 min), walked the 99 steps and then hiked the rest of the way up to the Castle. It's a steep hike so if you're a little light winded its probably best to take a taxi. Went to the top of the observatory/look-out and could see our cruise ship. What a view! Probably the funnest part was the pirate museum. Actually was a fun experience hearing about the woman pirates of the day. When we finished we walked back to the cruise ship. Frankly, it was a long walk and we probably should've taken the shuttle back. We had such a great time that we went again this past summer. Unfortunately, the Castle and pirate museum were closed for repairs. I recommend going but be sure to check if its open before going.
7. Grand Hotel
8. Legislature Building
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 22 reviews
This elegant lime-green building was where ownership of the Virgin Islands was transferred from Denmark to the U.S.
9. 99 Steps
Overall Ratings
4.0 based on 637 reviews
Step streets used by the residents of Charlotte Amalie, these historical 99 steps (the actual count is 103) were built from the ballast bricks of the tall ships coming from the old world, which would then return to Europe loaded with products from the islands.
Reviewed By reedmangreg - Chicago, United States
I would not call it a must but if you like walking and sightseeing this area of St Thomas has quite a few points of interest along the way; starting from Fort Christian, you can then go up using 99 Steps to arrive at to at Hotel 1829 and Blackbeard's Castle (unfortunately closed during our June 2020 post COVID trip) where you will also bump into Three Queens Statue. (the yellow steps in front of the Hotel 1829 aren't the 99 steps - so don't get disappointed at first, like we did hehe) It's a very safe area with many governmental buildings, some buildings are renovated in the area to still preserve that colonial vibe - probably the best well preserved "old Caribbean town" I have seen in our many trips to this amazing part of the world. TIP: there is a paid parking right by the Fort, in front of the police department where you can start the walk up or continue along to shore to check other stuff as well
